Chapter 45. QQ’s Level System & Liu Pingping Arrives in Shenzhen

Liu Pingping’s income was considered high even in Suzhou. Highly educated and worldly, her sophistication far surpassed that of ordinary women. Though she was 45, her meticulous skincare regimen kept her skin fair and smooth. Dressed in black stockings and a short skirt, her striking figure seemed untouched by time—she could easily pass for a woman in her thirties. This elegant, mature beauty attracted many admirers.

So… quite a few men had tried striking up a conversation with her earlier. But… after her husband passed away following Su Qingyan’s birth, she had devoted herself to raising her two daughters… and never remarried.

Previously… her company kept her too busy. She had tried talking sense into Su Qingyan, urging her to move on from her college romance. Clearly… dating in university was a mistake. She had intervened with Su Xiaoxiao before… but failed. And sure enough… once Su Xiaoxiao experienced the real world, she regretted her choices… and eventually divorced Li Mo.

But… those wasted years of youth were irreplaceable. No matter what… she couldn’t let her younger daughter repeat the same mistake.

This summer, Su Qingyan hadn’t even come home. Worse… she now dodged her calls. The moment romance was mentioned… she would hang up. Liu Pingping realized now… the situation… was serious.

So… she took an extended leave. She would track down her daughter’s mysterious boyfriend! No matter what… her youngest wouldn’t keep dating some penniless college boy.

“But…”

“Li Mo never came begging for help to remarry Xiaoxiao.”

It suddenly struck her—Li Mo had once called her Mom. After the divorce, she assumed… his warmth meant he wanted her help reconciling. After all, she was Xiaoxiao’s mother. Yet… these past few months… he hadn’t contacted her once.

What was he plotting?

Could it be… he truly had no intention of remarrying?

Meanwhile… Ma Tengyun returned with the legal team. Though QQ couldn’t yet compete with internet giants, it had every department a proper company needed—and all staffed by professionals. Li Mo never cut corners when it came to talent. His secret? Generating endless cash flow from stocks and futures.

“Teacher Ma, take a look.”

“24% equity for 250 million RMB.”

“Plus Mr. Mo’s voting rights delegation to you.”

“All clearly outlined.”

Teacher Ma took the contract. Despite being drunk, his mind had never been sharper. After scrutinizing every clause… he found no traps. Then… he and Li Mo signed. With that… Li Mo officially became Ali’s shareholder.

“Teacher Ma…”

“As your investor now…”

“I expect Ali to thrive.”

“Don’t keep me waiting too long for returns.”

Teacher Ma sobered up instantly.

“Don’t worry, Mr. Mo.”

“I’ll pour everything into Ali.”

“It’s my life’s work.”

“But today…”

“I’m especially glad.”

“Domestic capital rarely bets on startups.”

“Most prefer real estate.”

“That’s why our internet giants are 外资-dominated.”

“Even the ‘Big Three’ portals…”

“are majority foreign-owned.”

“With you as Ali’s major shareholder…”

“if we succeed, the wealth stays in Chinese hands.”

Li Mo raised his glass.

“Spoken like a true visionary.”

“A toast to you.”

He knew… had his offer been weaker, Teacher Ma would’ve chosen SoftBank. After all… no one was running a charity. Masayoshi Son’s reputation was unmatched—SoftBank stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the world’s top VC firms. Countless entrepreneurs begged just for a meeting. From a business standpoint… SoftBank was the logical choice.

“Another round, everyone!”

As glasses clinked, Ma Tengyun grew pensive.

“Mr. Mo, monetization impacts valuations so much.”

Watching Li Mo spend hundreds of millions on Ali… filled him with envy. How he longed for QQ to reach such heights. If one day… his company commanded that valuation… he’d walk with unshakable pride. His unspoken plea? For Li Mo to focus on profitability.

Teacher Ma sighed.

“QQ dominates instant messaging…”

“but monetization remains elusive, just as I predicted.”

Ali monetized through membership fees. B2B e-commerce thrived once trust was established. He believed… after the West Lake Summit, Ali’s profits would surge.

The Five Tigers shared Ma Tengyun’s frustration. The industry still doubted QQ… even with Li Mo’s legendary backing.

“Tengyun…”

“Relax.”

“I’ve got a plan.”

“Have the tech team implement a leveling system.”

“7 consecutive logins = 1 star.”

“15 days = 2 stars.”

“30 days = 3 stars.”

“4 stars = 1 moon.”

“4 moons = 1 sun.”

“4 suns = 1 crown.”

“Adjust active day requirements as needed.”

“30+ minutes online daily counts.”

Ma Tengyun’s eyes lit up.

“Mr. Mo! This will skyrocket user engagement!”

They could already envision it—this system would make QQ addiction inevitable.

“Get it done.”

Li Mo checked QQ’s project timeline. The telecom split was imminent. Currently, Xindian was the sole mobile carrier… but soon… Yidong would emerge as China’s second. QQ’s payday… was coming.

Meanwhile…

A train pulled into Shenzhen station.

Gazing at the glittering cityscape, Liu Pingping sighed.

“I’ll have Xiaoxiao pick me up.”

At 45, her beauty remained arresting. No trace of age showed. Even young men turned their heads. But nightfall brought danger. Unlike daytime, taxis weren’t safe after dark.

She dialed Su Xiaoxiao… only to hear endless ringing.

No one answered.